A variety of hand rake configurations have been proposed and implemented to date incorporating various designs and materials. Such hand rakes are typically utilized in yards to rake leaves, grass clippings, and the like. Recent rake designs have focused on assisting the user in maintaining a comfortable and substantially upright stance during the raking process. In addition, such designs have striven to maximize the development of force in the raking stroke by altering the shape of the handle. However, conventional yard rakes require a “pulling” motion for effective raking, and typically have a fixed dispositional relationship between the rake head and the stem. Such configurations fail to optimize user comfort, fail to be adaptable to users of various size, and fail to effectively provide a mechanism for the user to perform the raking process through a “pushing” motion. A preferred pushing mode of operation of the devices of the present invention enhance the transmission of force from the user to the raking surface, such that the user expends less energy to obtain a sufficient raking force on the yard rake.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a yard rake device that maximizes user comfort and transmission of energy to the raking surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a yard rake device having a stem that is specifically configured for providing an effective raking capability as the user pushes the yard rake away from their body.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a yard rake having a stem that is selectively positionable into a variety of configurations.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a yard rake device having a stem which includes two or more distinct handles that are each specifically configured for maximum comfort for the user during the raking process.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a yard rake device having a pivot means operably connecting the rake head to the stem, such that the rake head may selectively pivoted about an axis defined by such pivot means.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a yard rake that is capable of compacting to a relatively small size.